"These guides are nothing short of amazing and interestingly enough, the Cincinnati guidebook was the last big one to be released," Grinnell said. Today, the book serves as a snapshot of 1943 Cincinnati, when the city’s population was 455,610 and now-iconic structures like Carew Tower and Union Terminal were just a decade old.

This time period was "a bit of an 'amber' moment" in Cincinnati's history, Grinnell said, "as this was the Queen City at its industrial peak. I consider [Cincinnati's WPA guide] one of the better city guides produced by the Federal Writers' Project."

This will be Grinnell's fourth time hosting a Cincinnati walking tour of this nature. Grinnell says he has refined the concept over the years, adding in even more historical context from other sources. "I’ve also done a bit more original research through local papers, business directories, and photograph archives from the University of Cincinnati," Grinnell said. "This year, we’ll be hitting some of the familiar places we’ve enjoyed in the past, including the Netherland Plaza, and also talking about those buildings that Cincy has lost since the book was written."

Travis Estell is a Soapbox contributor and has been a contributor to UrbanCincy since 2009. After growing up on Cincinnati’s east side in Goshen, Travis earned an Electronic Media degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2009. Since then, Travis has been working throughout the United States as a web development consultant. After living in both Clifton Heights and Northside, Travis currently calls Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood home. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @taestell.